Palo Cedro >> There was no quit in the Red Bluff Spartans Friday night, despite a lopsided scoreboard and a full season on the road.

Down 49-12 heading into the fourth quarter, the Spartans scored three times in the final period for a 49-34 loss to the Foothill Cougars in the opening round of the playoffs.

“We went out fighting,” coach Orlyn Culp told his team after the loss.

The Spartans wrapped up the year 4-6 overall and 3-3 league, going into the post-season as the No. 5 seed against No. 4 Foothill, which beat Red Bluff 32-30 in week 3.

The Spartans got on the board first when quarterback Marshal Brose hit Logan Robertson on the second play from scrimmage for a score, but the rest of the first half would be mostly Foothill.

The Cougars moved the ball well on the ground, especially to the right side, and the Spartans had no answer for quarterback Jayden Gordon, both on the ground and through the air.

Gordon found the end zone four times in the first half, three on the run and once hitting Cole Millward.

The Spartans running game never built much momentum, except the occasional keeper from Brose, but penalties negated some big plays.

There were some Spartans highlights in the second quarter.

Joey Estrada intercepted Gordon — the first of two picks he would have on the night.

Conner McKenzie took a kickoff at the 10 and returned it 90 yards to the house with 5:40 left in the half.

On the next drive, the Cougars moved the ball all the way to the Spartans’ 1 yard line, but Red Bluff held them out of the end zone and the teams went to halftime with the Spartans down a manageable 28-12.

The third quarter wasn’t kind to the Spartans.

Estrada would make his second interception on the opening drive of the half, but Brose would be picked off on the next play.

Mixing it up, No. 2 quarterback Jackson Torsey hit Gordon for a score. Gordon pitched to Joshua Womack for a score on the next drive. Parker Martin took in for Foothill’s final score with just 33 seconds left in the third.

With a running clock, though, the Spartans found some spark on both sides of the ball.

Brose hit McKenzie for a touchdown from a few yards out and Eric Davis fell on a Cougars’ fumble on the ensuing kickoff.

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Brose connected with McKenzie again just inside of 5 minutes left to play.

Lane Garrett pounced on another Foothill fumble to give the Spartans the ball with 1:40 left to play.

Red Bluff drove the field and Brose tried to take it in for the score, coughing it up at the 2, but Davis was there to pick it up in the end zone for another Spartans’ score with less than 30 seconds to go.

Despite the late rally, there just wasn’t enough time on the clock for the Spartans.

In a year that saw the Spartans with no home games due to the field in Red Bluff failing a safety inspection, the team made a playoff appearance for the second year in a row.

“Seniors, just like that it came and went,” Culp told the team. “At the end of the day we saw it out there. When you guys do it right, you’re a great football team. The brotherhood you created is forever.”